Holiday Traditions
by Winekita
Summary: It's Calypso's first Christmas Day, and Leo Valdez wants to know what Christmas tradition was her favorite! One-shot.


_**Hey, look! I actually managed to do an X-mas holiday story on time! I didn't think I'd be able to :P**_

_**Smaller than a mouse, but I never care, do I?**_

_**By the way, this story can take place in either of the **_**Papi_ story lines, since the backpacking through Europe was something that happened in both versions._**

_**If you'd like another Holiday story, try **_**Tis the Season for the Flu**_**, in which Leo is not exactly feeling well on one of the happiest days of the year.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

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"So," Leo drawled. "I wanna try and take a guess."

He and Calypso were sitting at a café in some town on the Northern edge of Greece, drinking hot chocolate. It was Christmas day—their first Christmas together and her first Christmas _ever_—and they were having some relaxing fun watching others happily celebrate the holiday.

Calypso raised an eyebrow and took a sip of her hot chocolate. "A guess at what?"

"I want to know what your favorite Christmas tradition was."

"Well," Calypso said with a smile. "It's only my first year celebrating, so I hardly think I can call a favorite yet. But if I had to pick, I'd say it was—"

Leo put a finger to her lips. "No! Don't tell me! I wanna see if I can guess it!"

Calypso smiled wider and shrugged. "Fine. Guess away."

Leo put on an exaggerated thinking face. Then, he snapped. "The presents! You loved opening your present!"

Calypso nodded. "I enjoyed it." She fingered the Celestial Bronze musical rose that was delicately sitting on the table. She was tempted to push the bottom thorn and let the rose play '_You Are My Sunshine_', but she resisted. "But it wasn't my favorite part of this 'Christmas'."

Leo looked a little disappointed for a second, then put his thinking face back on. "Surely it wasn't the eggnog drinking. I personally think it's a terrible tradition."

"Why?"

"I had a bad run-in with maenads a while back."

"Ah."

"Yeah. So, not your favorite part, either?"

Calypso shook her head. "Nope."

"Good." Leo looked very relieved at that. "Hmm…decorating the Christmas tree, perhaps?"

The couple had participated in helping decorate the town square. Calypso herself had gotten the honor of placing the star on the tree. She was beaming as bright as the star when she came down.

The Titaness shook her head. "Sorry, but no. You'll have to try harder."

"The carols? There are some pretty fun ones. Y'know, like '_Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg. The Batmobile just lost a wheel and Joker got away, hey~!_'"

Calypso winced at Leo's awful singing. "Surely not," she protested. "Yes, there are lovely songs, but you keep insisting on singing them and making them terrible. Also, I don't even know what a Batman or Batmobile is…"

Leo shrugged. "Well, then…what else is there? Ah! Watching Christmas movies! Polar Express is a good one, right? And the Jim Carrey Grinch was awesome!"

"That reindeer with the funny red nose was my favorite," she said. "Very cute."

"Rudolph? He's a'ight." Leo leaned back in his chair. "Frosty's better. Or Heat Miser."

"Heat Miser?"

Leo grinned. "Y'know, '_I'm Mr. Green Christmas. I'm Mr. Sun. I'm Mr. Heat Blister. I'm Mr. Hundred and One~!_"

"Stop," she pleaded. "Carols are quickly becoming my least favorite part."

"Meanie," he said with a pout.

The Titaness stuck her tongue out. "Learn how to sing or don't sing at all."

"Fine. So, I take it the movies aren't your favorite either…How about the food? Everyone loves the Christmas feasts! Ham, turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn…"

He started rambling off random foods.

Calypso stopped him at yams. "No, Leo. That all was delicious last night. But no, it was not my favorite."

Leo scratched his head. "I'm stuck, then. You don't have a favorite Christmas thing? There has to be something!"

"Oh, there is," Calypso said. She grinned and stood up.

She dragged Leo to his feet and led him to one of the doorways in the café. Hanging down inside the frame was a tiny green plant with little white balls wrapped in a red bow.

Leo looked up and blushed, smiling sheepishly.

Calypso leaned forward and kissed him under the mistletoe. She could still taste the hot cocoa on his lips.

When they broke apart, she said, "_That_ is my favorite Christmas tradition."

Leo grinned from ear to ear. "Y'know, I think it just became my favorite, too."

They kissed again, not caring that there were people wanting to get through the doorway in which they occupied.

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_**A/N: Ah, ain't Christmas grand?**_

**_Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody! :D_**


End file.
